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Depleted Uranium WHO/SDE/PHE/01.1 English only Limited Depleted uranium Sources, Exposure and Health Effects Department of Protection of the Human Environment World Health Organization Geneva April 2001 The illustration of the cover page is extracted from Rescue Mission: Planet Earth, ã Peace Child International 1994; used by permission. ã World Health Organization 2001 This document is not issued to the general public and all rights are reserved by the World Health Organization. The document may not be reviewed, abstracted, quoted, reproduced or translated, in part or in whole, without the prior written permission of WHO. No part of this document may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical or other without the prior written permission of WHO. The views expressed in documents by named authors are solely the responsibility of those authors. Preface Depleted uranium (DU) has been used in medical and industrial applications for decades but only since its use in military conflicts in the Gulf and the Balkans has public concern been raised about potential health consequences from exposure to it. Concerns have been particularly for peacekeeping forces, humanitarian workers and local populations living and working in areas contaminated by DU following conflict. There has been a large amount of research on the health consequences to workers in the mining and milling of uranium, and on its use in nuclear power, that enables a reasonable assessment of its impact on human health1. Since DU acts chemically in the same way as uranium, and the radiological toxicity is somewhat less than uranium, this research can be used to evaluate health risks from ingestion, inhalation and contact with DU. In late 1999, the WHO Department on the Protection of the Human Environment (PHE) recognized the need for an independent review of the scientific literature from which health risks could be assessed from various DU exposure situations. Professor Barry Smith from the British Geological Survey, UK, was contracted to prepare the draft from the literature that would be subject to rigorous scientific review. The format of the review was to be modelled on monographs in the WHO environmental health criteria series. An ad hoc review and oversight group of WHO staff members was formed and coordinated by Dr Michael Repacholi. Participants and contributors to the review included: Drs Ala Alwan, Antero Aitio, Jamie Bartram, Keith Baverstock, Elisabeth Cardis, Carlos Corvalan, Marilyn Fingerhut, Yoshikazu Hayashi, Richard Helmer, Jenny Pronczuk, Colin Roy, Dieter Schwela, Gennadi Souchkevich and Maged Younes. The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in the United Kingdom, a WHO Collaborating Centre on ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, provided many contributions relating to the radiological toxicity of DU. These contributions were provided by Dr Neil Stradling and other staff identified below. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the USA, a WHO Collaborating Centre on occupational health, provided contributions mainly related to DU occupational health and safety requirements, protective measures and health monitoring. These contributions were provided by Dr Jim Neton and other staff identified below. The Centre for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine (CHPPM) in the USA, provided contributions relating mainly to DU applications, radiological toxicity and medical care of people exposed to DU. These contributions were provided by Dr Mark Melanson and other staff identified below. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) provided contributions on the effects of ionizing radiation and internationally recognized standards. These contributions were provided by Dr Carol Robinson and Dr Tiberio Cabianca. Included in these reviewers and contributors are members of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) an NGO in formal relations with WHO. 1 The Government of Iraq has reported increases in cancers, congenital abnormalities and other diseases following the Gulf war in 1991, but there are no published results for review. WHO is working with the Government of Iraq to prepare studies to investigate this situation. i There have been a large number of contributors to this monograph, and it has been reviewed widely. In addition to the internal WHO review group, contributors and reviewers are listed below in alphabetical order: · AC-Laboratorium Spiez, Switzerland: Dr Ernst Schmid · ATSDR, USA: Dr Sam Keith · Batelle Pacific Northwest Laboratoies, USA: Dr Tom Tenforde · CHPPM, USA: Drs Dave Alberth, Marianne Cloeren, Richard Kramp, Gordon Lodde, Mark Melanson, Laurie Roszell, Colleen Weese · Electric Power Research Institute, USA: Dr Leeka Kheifets · Hopital Cantonal Universitaire, Division de médecine nucléaire, Geneva: Dr Albert Donath · IAEA: Drs Tiberio Cabianca, Carol Robinson · Karolinska Institute, Sweden: Dr Lennart Dock · NIOSH, USA: Drs Heinz Ahlers, Bonnie Malit, Jim Neton, Michael Ottlinger, Paul Schulte, Rosemary Sokas · NRPB, UK: Drs Mike Bailey, George Etherington, Alan Hodgson, Colin Muirhead, Alan Phipps, Ed Rance, Jennifer Smith, Neil Stradling · SCK·CEN Studiecentrum voor Kernenergie Centre d'étude de l'Energie Nucléaire, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre : Dr Christian Hurtgen · Swedish Radiation Protection Institute, Stockholm: Drs Gustav Akerblom, Jan Olof Snihs · UNEP, Balkans Unit: Mr Henrik Slotte The monograph was technically edited by Professor Barry Smith and language edited by Audrey Jackson, both from the British Geological Survey, UK. WHO acknowledges, with sincere gratitude, the contributions of all the authors and reviewers of this important monograph. In addition, WHO also acknowledges with thanks the photographs related to DU provided by IAEA, NIOSH and ATSDR. WHO has and will continue to work with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other UN agencies, Collaborating Centres and NGOs to advance our knowledge about exposure to DU and other environmental risk factors that could have consequences for health. Such programmes are aimed at providing essential information to member states and assisting national health services to deal with chemical, physical and biological risk factors in their environment. ii Executive Summary This scientific review on depleted uranium is part of the World Health Organization's (WHO's) ongoing process of assessment of possible health effects of exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents. Concerns about possible health consequences to populations residing in conflict areas where depleted uranium munitions were used have raised many important environmental health questions that are addressed in this monograph. Purpose and scope The main purpose of the monograph is to examine health risks that could arise from exposure to depleted uranium. The monograph is intended to be a desk reference providing useful information and recommendations to WHO Member States so that they may deal appropriately with the issue of depleted uranium and human health. Information is given on sources of depleted uranium exposure, the likely routes of acute and chronic intake, the potential health risks from both the radiological and chemical toxicity standpoints and future research needs. Several ways of uptake of compounds with widely different solubility characteristics are also considered. Information about uranium is used extensively because it behaves in the body the same way as depleted uranium. Uranium and depleted uranium Uranium is a naturally occurring, ubiquitous, heavy metal found in various chemical forms in all soils, rocks, seas and oceans. It is also present in drinking water and food. On average, approximately 90 µg (micrograms) of uranium exist in the human body from normal intakes of water, food and air; approximately 66% is found in the skeleton, 16% in the liver, 8% in the kidneys and 10% in other tissues. Natural uranium consists of a mixture of three radioactive isotopes which are identified by the mass numbers 238U(99.27% by mass), 235U(0.72%) and 234U(0.0054%). Uranium is used primarily in nuclear power plants; most reactors require uranium in which the 235U content is enriched from 0.72% to about 3%. The uranium remaining after removal of the enriched fraction is referred to as depleted uranium. Depleted uranium typically contains about 99.8% 238U, 0.2% 235U and 0.0006% 234U by mass. For the same mass, depleted uranium has about 60% of the radioactivity of uranium. Depleted uranium may also result from the reprocessing of spent nuclear reactor fuel. Under these conditions another uranium isotope, 236U may be present together with very small amounts of the transuranic elements plutonium, americium and neptunium and the fission product technetium-99. The increase in the radiation dose from the trace amounts of these additional elements is less than 1%. This is insignificant with respect to both chemical and radiological toxicity. iii Uses of depleted uranium Depleted uranium has a number of peaceful applications: counterweights or ballast in aircraft, radiation shields in medical equipment used for radiation therapy and containers for the transport of radioactive materials. Due to its high density, which is about twice that of lead, and other physical properties, depleted uranium is used in munitions designed to penetrate armour plate. It also reinforces military vehicles, such as tanks. Exposure
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